Elevator.



PATENTED PEB. 7, 1905.

J. H. MILLSAPS.

ELEVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 22, 1904.

ratenteci February '7, 1905.

PATENT EEicE.

JEFFERSON H. MILLSAPS, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,159, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed April 22. 1904:. Serial No. 204.387.

") /IJ/ Vwhom 'it vim/y concer/t:

Be it known that I, JEFFERSON H. HILL- sars, a citizen of the United States, residing at IYashington, District of Columbia. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators; and I do hereby declare the lfollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to n'iake and use the saine.

This invention relates to elevators, and more particularly to safety appliances therefor for preventing descent of the car should the lifting-cable break.

rl`he object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein there will be provided a positive obstruction to the downward movement of the car so connected and arranged that as the car moves upwardly it will be gradually shifted into position beneath the car or into active position, and as the car moves downwardly or is lowered by its lifting-cable the obstruction will be gradually removed, the means for shifting the obstruction being connected with the car through the medium of the lifting-cable, so that when the lifting-cable breaks the shifting mechanism will be no longer operative and the obstruction will remain in the path of downward movement of the car, so that the latter will engage it and be supported thereby.

ln the drawings lforming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a vertical section through an elevator-shaft having guide-rails, a car, and connected mechanism embodying' the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of a guide-rail and one of the uprights of the frame in which it is slidably mounted. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a portion of an elevator-shaft comprising uprights 5 and 6, there being a pair of uprights and 6 at each side of the shaft, and between each pair of uprights is arranged a guide-rail T. In the inner or mutually adjacent faces of each pair of uprights 5 and 6 there are vformed grooves 9, which are inclined in the direction of the adjacentwall of the sha'ft--that is, the ends of the grooves next to the wall of the shaft are higher than the ends next to the car. Each of the guiderails is provided with pins IO, that project laterally from the guide-rail and slidably engage the corresponding grooves 9, so that when the guide-rail is lifted these pins will pass outwardly and upwardly in the grooves, so that the guide-rails T and S will be moved apart. Between the guide-rails is arranged a car Il, and it will be noted that thesides of the car which are in contact with the guide-rails converge downwardly. so that the car is of wedge shape, and it will be Vfurther noted that the guide-rails T and S are converged downwardly to correspm'nl to the sides of the car. The spacing of the guide-rails` in the plane of the bottom of the car is equal to the width ol the car, while the spacing of the lower ends of the guide-rails is less than the width of the ar, the guide-rails being of such weight that the lateral pressure duc to the wedgingaction of the car between the guide-rails is not sutiicient to move the guide-rails laterally and upwardly from engagement with the car, and hence unless positively raised the guide-rails serve to positively prevent downward movement of the car. To shift the guide-rails to correspond to the movement of the car, the lifting-cable l5, which is attached to the car, is passed around a drum IG and then over direction-pullcy IT, and then downwardly to the winding-drum I8, which is operated in the usual manner to raise and lower the car. By passing the cable around the. drum lll several times suliicient friction acquired to insure positive rotation of the drum from the cable.

On the end oli' the drum 1G is a pinion I9, which engages a gear-wheel 20, having a pinion 2l, engaging a gear-wheel 22 on a winding-drum Q3, it being understood that this reducing-train may be varied as desired to secure the proper speed of rotation of the drum Q3. A cable Qi is attached to the drum Q3 and to the guide-rail T, while a second cable is attached to said drum and after passingI over a direction-pulley 26 is attached to the guiderail 8,.so that as the car l1 rises and moves IOO downwardly the cables Q4 and 25 are un wound l or wound up to lower and raise the guiderails. Should the cable break at any pointY between the winding-drum 18 and the car 11, the car will drop or start to drop; but the tension of the cable 15 being removed the frictional engagement thereof with the drum 16 will cease and the drum 23 will be permitted to rotate to unwind the cables 24 and Q5 therefrom sufficient to insure immediate lodgment of the car between the guide-rails. Inasmuch *Y as the guide-rails are in comparatively close relation to the car as the latter moves upwardly, the actual drop of the car will be practically nothing.

It will be understood that in practice modications of the specilic construction shown may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be noted that with the present con- -struction the guide-rails serve as counterbal- 3. The combination with an elevator-car, of

guide-rails, a lifting-cable connected to the car and means operable by the cable only when the latter is intact for shifting the guiderails laterally into and out of position for wedging of the car therebetween.

4. The combination with an elevator-car the car and drum for lifting' the car, means for holding the car against downward movement and with which the car is in constant engagement, and means operatively connected with the lifting-cable and operable thereby when the cable is intact, for shifting said supporting' means to correspond to the position of the car.'

5. The combination with a-n elevator-car and its lifting-cable, of a shiftable obstruction` in the path of downward movement of the car andA means operable by the cable only when the latter is intact, for shifting said obstruction progressively out of that portion of the path of the car that is occupied by the car.

6. An elevator comprising a movable guiderail and means for connecting the same to the operating mechanism so that as the car moves upwardly or downwardly, the guide-rail is shifted outwardly and inwardly, the guiderail being' at all times in contact with the car, substantially as described.

7. An elevator comprising upright supports and guide-railshaving a pin-and-groove connection with said supports, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEFFERSON H. MILLSAPS. vVitnesses:

GEO. H. CHANDLER, W. C. O. KEYES.

.and a winding-drum, of a cable connected with 

